Professional Development and a culture of continuous learning

SPEAKER: In this step, we will look at building a workforce to combat AMR through continuing professional development. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education defines CPD as a self-directed, ongoing, systematic and outcomes-focused approach to lifelong learning that is applied into practise. It involves a process of active participation in formal and informal learning activities that assist individuals in developing and maintaining continuing competence, enhancing their professional practise, and supporting achievement of their career goals. CPD is undertaken in most countries in various forms, although low and middle-income countries struggle with access, and the materials can be quite expensive and often are not relevant to their needs.

This slide shows the architecture to an effective CPD programme, so that as learners you can become aware of what to look for in quality CPD programmes. At the top, we show you the learning stages beginning with recognising the opportunity for learning, identifying relevant resources, engaging, trying new information, and then incorporating what you have learned into practise. The instructional framework should identify teachable moments. This speaks to the first and second learning stage then enabling knowledge that is relative to the need and providing an opportunity to apply this knowledge. And lastly, the instructional framework should reinforce these learnings. An effective CPD programme should be based on the needs of the learner as it relates to their environment.

It should employ effective, interactive techniques and utilise multiple intervention techniques. In other words, the CPD programme should fill knowledge gaps with relevant, quality information that can be applied to your setting. And the modalities should include different activities to strengthen knowledge gained and facilitate applying this new knowledge to practical settings. We would like to share with you some of the free online programmes from partners providing quality relevant information and tools to low and middle-income countries. You’re obviously here at the FutureLearn platform. Massive open online courses are free and available to anyone to enrol and provide a flexible and affordable way to learn new skills.

They generally target a wide group with varying backgrounds, so the content is delivered in a very approachable manner. The Global Health Network provides numerous trainings and courses, specifically targeting low and middle-income countries, with a focus on capacity building. The Fleming Fund has also developed numerous courses for AMR programme development, some of which are for laboratories. The Global Health Continuing Professional Development programme is relatively new with a focus on epidemic preparedness for low and middle-income countries. The courses are taught by experts in global health, and learners have an opportunity to engage with the faculty so the content is more relevant and about knowledge sharing between learning and faculty.

These are just four programmes highlighted for their varying approaches to professional development, but yet all still support a culture of continuous learning and can be leveraged to build a workforce for AMR. We have provided links to each and encourage you to check them out. In the next step, we invite you to take part in a discussion forum about building lab capacity for AMR surveillance in low and middle-income countries based on what you have learned in these two steps and a paper by Anna Seale and colleagues, which gives guidance on how to build capacity that allows for flexibility but with sufficient standardisation of core protocols so that AMR data will be valid and comparable.